While most people are content to let the investigation into the Dark Knight Rises murder spree evolve under the auspices of local and federal law enforcement, there exists a fringe for whom no amount of physical distance from, or baseless conjecture about, a national tragedy is too far to not support unlikely theories of United Nations false-flag attacks and other tinfoil cap speculations.

The current conspiracy du jour is that James Holmes’ attack on a packed audience watching a midnight screening of The Dark Knight Rises was in actuality an atrocity planned in advance by elements within the federal government and/or the United Nations. Those advocating this claim are pointing to several shaky bits of “evidence” that are in actuality nothing of the sort. This isn’t surprising, though: it costs practically nothing to make baseless accusations under the guise of “just asking questions”, and there’s much to be gained by doing so in terms of attention and notoriety. (Just ask Glenn Beck.)

Let’s take a look at some of the points being raised by those who believe that a government conspiracy was behind the Aurora shootings:

2) There’s no way this guy could have gotten all of those weapons and that tactical gear.
Not a chance. I’m nowhere near wealthy and I own three firearms myself, upon which I’ve spent about $600. I could easily acquire a shotgun and a rifle for maybe a couple thousand more if I look around town. That’s not even including the internet, where apparently Holmes did much of his own shopping. The gas mask? I own one, myself. Fully functional Russian surplus. Bought it for a Halloween costume. It’s also perfectly legal to buy a bullet-proof vest and you can do so at many places online or locally. Same thing with any other protective gear. As for the cost, all I can say is that none of us have access to his financial records, and if I were planning on spending the rest of my life in jail (or dead) then it would probably be pretty easy for me to liquidate my assets to acquire whatever I needed.

3) Someone must have trained him how to use it all!
Not necessary at all. I know how to strap on protective gear, and I bet you could do so, too. Firearm training? Also unnecessary. The audience members were sitting ducks. Many of them thought that Holmes was part of the show – after all, there were plenty of people wearing costumes. They had little reason to be alarmed until the bullets started flying. it takes little skill to shoot indiscriminately into a field full of targets. Pistols are another matter, but there have been many, many accounts of basically unskilled people using pistols to take many lives in other mass murders. The man killed a dozen people out of probably hundreds trapped in an enclosed space. It’s a tragedy, but this isn’t the work of a professional marksman.

4) Someone must have let him in!
Yes, that’s definitely possible: We think that he came in through the emergency exit, from what I understand. Someone might have agreed to do so thinking that he just wanted to sneak into the movie for free, or maybe someone left it open on accident. Perhaps Holmes himself had come in at some point prior and left it open. Or maybe he pried the door open from the other side. Who knows? Any of these seem likely – or at least likelier than a government agent opening the door and shoving Holmes in. All that we know is that he got in somehow.

5) He turned himself in! Who turns himself in?
You’re right: most of these guys off themselves. But not all of them! It does happen. Simply because Holmes didn’t take the extra step of killing himself doesn’t make him the Manchurian Candidate. Maybe he lacked the guts. Certainly, the fact that he left his apartment booby trapped seems to imply that he had originally planned on not coming back alive.

6) He timed his attack perfectly to coincide with the sound of gunshots!
It wouldn’t take an idiot to figure that one out, and if you’ve ever worked at a theater then you’ll know that you can easily hear the noises a movie makes when you’re standing near a door. Plus, it’s an action film about a terrorist villain. You could probably just walk in any time and have a pretty good chance of doing so during a gunfight or explosion.

7) They’re coming to take our guns! This is why they did it!
A major linchpin in the conspiracy theory is that this was done to justify the United States’ signing on to the United Nations Small Arms Resolution. From here, the theory goes, the powers that be will have all of the justification it needs to take America’s weapons away. There are a few problems with this. The first is that the UN Small Arms Resolution concerns the trafficking of conventional firearms between member countries, not the buy, sell or trade of firearms within member countries. The second is that no matter what the UN wants, the United States would still have to develop new legislature and pass it through the same process any other law goes through.

8 )The FBI knew! The FBI knew!
There’s a video currently making the rounds that purports to show a FBI warning regarding potential terrorist attacks at movie theaters. The same video claims that the warning was removed from the internet around the same time of the shooting. The video – and thus, the document – has only one source, and it is being propagated through conspiracy circles at the speed of light. Presuming that one trusts the originator of the document that it is legitimate, then this in itself becomes highly problematic. Why would the FBI issue a warning of an attack in the first place if their brothers in arms are planning the same attack? Further, the document is clearly marked as a “Roll Call” release, one of a line of internal documents created by the Department of Homeland Security’s Interagency Threat Assessment and Coordination Group. My point is that they were clearly intended for internal use. If you’re part of a conspiracy, why alert everyone else? The document was never intended for public release, which might also explain why it “disappeared” after being posted. Finally, warnings about terrorist attacks in public places aren’t new. People have been talking about attacks in shopping centers and other public places for years.

9) The feds do this kind of thing all the time!
No, the feds don’t mass murder dozens of civilians all the time. They’ve set up plenty of sting operations with would-be terrorists (often with dummy explosives and that kind of thing), and they’ve even fouled up their share of investigations (“Fast and Furious”) and applied a jackhammer to situations that would require a feather touch (Waco) with horrific results, but coordinating the murder of a the theater full of suburbanites watching a comic book movie? No, that’s not something that typically falls under the purview of the federal government. You simply can’t look at past cases in which you suspect government malfeasance and use them as “proof” of malfeasance in this attack.

I suppose that nearly anything is possible, but which sounds like a more likely possibility: (1) A young man who most people remember as a bit of an oddball snaps and goes on a shooting rampage (something that has happened many, many times before); or (2) International conspirators band together in a coordinated assault on the residents of a Colorado town in a black operation to support the roll-out of total gun control in America. I know where I stand. Do you?

Comments

Another point that this article fails to mention is that there was more than one person involved.
Gas canisters were thrown from the front and the back of the theatre and many of the witnesses talk about two shooters.

So far from every article I have read I do not recall reading about anyone mentioning gas canisters being thrown from the front AND the back. Nor do I recall reading about two shooters. I have read musings and theories, which is everyone’s right to ponder or believe.

What I am curious about is that I recall reading one article (Huffington Post I believe) that stated that Holmes bought a ticket (possibly a little after the movie had started – I do not recall exactly) and walked in like everyone else. So if that is actually the case then it is possible that Holmes began by throwing gas canisters as soon as he entered the theater. If any of them had time delays or just stalled then it could be understandable for it to seem like they were coming from multiple suspects. Also another thought, if I was next to a gas canister that was actively going off I would want to get it away from me. I might be inclined to throw it away from me, possibly even towards where I believe the shooter(s) to be. Again that could explain how it appeared as though there were multiple suspects. Just a thought.

He had no partner. Psychopaths don’t play play that game. They trust no one.
I think he was just another idiot who believes the world will end 21DEC2012. Look at his courtroom appearance video or photos. He sat there calm, complacent. He fervently believes there isn’t time remaining to bring him to trial and execute him.
I’ve got bad news for James Holmes: Nowhere on the Mayan Calendar does it remotely say the earth will end or humanity be erased. What it says is that mankind will become more caring, sharing.

Please have your facts straight before writing them. First off witness Corbin Dates said someone took a phone call and went to the door and seemed to signal someone also he said shooter was 5’9″ whereas James Holmes is 6’3″. Also a second witness (young black male) said gas canisters came from in front and behind him. Police chief tried to explain canister bounced off wall that’s why he thought they came from 2 directions. John Elway couldn’t make that throw whereas the gas canister was thrown from the front of the theater and bounced off the back wall and landed in front of the witness. Also there was 2 gas masks found one at the corner of the building closest to Sable St just after the security camera. That’s the same Sable Side police audio can be heard saying one suspect was heading wearing blue and white plaid shirt with red backpack and audio also describes second suspect wearing black camo with black backpack yet Holmes was found in his car. Also audio says assualt rifle 5.56 was found in theater (could be AR15 they fire both .223 and 5.56) but pictures clearly show AR15 outside theater. There are many other inconsistencies please check facts for yourself.

not surprising that yet columnist is neglecting to mention many other key components to this story. people will see what they want to see as long as it adheres to their personal preferences, and will push that onto others while completely barring any other possibilities. or as this columnist so eloquently does, debases and puts down those who dare suggest the shred of a possibility that our govt would dare dream of orchestrating such a heinous event in order to push their own agenda. its crazy right?!
bias bias bias. relay the information thats there, dont paint a picture of what YOU want others to believe.